Foot appliance for the treatment of bunions.



B. CBOT/VE,

FUOT APFLANCE FOR THE TREATMENT 0F BUNTONS.

APPLlcATIoN man 1v1/*w24A 1915.

Lj- Patented Mar. 14,1916.

rica.

BERTI-IA CROWE, OF BROAD RUN, VIRGINIA for its object to produce a simple and eiec tive device of this class which may be worn in the day time and which will not only tend to relieve the pain'caused by pressure upon the inflamed joint, but willl also tend to alleviate-*and to cure the afliiction. L

A further obfect of the invention is to produce a device of the class described which -is in the nature of yan attachment to a shoe, and which will be thereby heldsecurely in the desired position to obtain the best results.

With these and other-ends in view swhich portion of which is shown'at S, is provided with a slit 25 for the passage of the strap` will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consistsin the .improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of 'parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawing h s been illustrated a simple and preferred orm'- of the invention, it'being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise Astructural details therein eX- hibited, but that changes, alterations and modiications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In :the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a human footy to which a part of the improved device has been applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a shoe to which the remaining vpart of the device has been applied. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken Ihorizontally through a shoe and indicating therein` a foot to which the device has been applied. Fig. 4 is a sectional detail view taken .on the line fi-4 in Fig. 3.

y 1- Corresponding parts in the several gures are denoted by like characters .of reference. The improved device or appliance coml prises al hood 15 adapted to receivethe big I i -..toeand ja portion of the foot, said hood being of length to extend over the metatarsophalangeal v`joint'. The hood which Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 'Mai'. 14, 1916.

may 'be made of inuslin or other suitable material may be provided with a lining member 16 of soft leather, chamois skin or the like, and it has a foot encircling strap 17. The hood is also provided at its outer edge portion with a rearwardly extending' strap 18 adapted to be adjustably connected with an attaching member, such as a. buckle 19, carried by a strap 20 which is securely attached by stitching or in some other convenient manner to the counter or heel portion 21 of a shoe.

VVithinthe hood I prefer to place a pad P of felt or other suitable soft and resilient material, said pad having a thick front portion 23 adapted to lie in front ot the toe and relatively thin bottom portion el that extends beneath the toe, the purpose being to relieve the toe nail from undue pressure.

In operation, the hood 15 is applied to the 'sbig toe, the strap 17 forming a loop that Vpasses around the foot. The stocking. a

vthereby straightening the joint and causing it to remain in its natural position.

The use of this appliance has proven in practice not only to reduce the unsightly appearance caused by abunion, but also te greatly relieve the pain caused by 'the pressure of theshoe against the inflamed portion of the foot. It isbelieved that when resorted to in time, the use of the appliance will ultimately effect a complete cure of the diseased condition known as a bunion.

I The device, as will be seen, is extremely simple and inexpensive, and that portion which is worn on the foot may be made of washable material and may also be easily renewed at small expense. It may thus be easily kept in a" clean -and sanitary condistrain exercised by means of a splinter spring bound on the. eide oflthe fooi. 'Such justable-'c'onnectiontlie svnraizrV luterul strain cannot beA eXe'r'ted Withoulgsa- 'fromth'e'hood. L direct pressure on the bn'nion orinl'amed" "-2.A' f0ot appliance com ,Wiege-fine portioni'vhich isalways uncomfortable fand applicable .to -the bis;y toe'f'erd havmgua' sometimes unendumble In this device 'thev-rearwardlylextendiiig strapn combination stress on the hood is in the rearward direc.-v with n'. shoe having 'strap attachedl n- 25 tion` und this produces an' outiv-zirdt'ension teriorily onthe heey-portion thereof and ex-V on the big .toe without direct presente on the" `tending forward y, said wlesft: mentioned bunion, thus producing a curative .effect 'Asti-up havingn connecting-member ford-f without discomfort.

l'lnvingA thus described .the inventioln' ing i'ioin'the hood,netooking'hevin e 3o what is claimed aeneW, isp-f 1 i slit'l forthe .passagef'offihest'rap eidending l, A foot appllunce comprising e hood `from tl1eho0d'."f f -Y .ii A g applicable to the big toe and hilving a rear;-l 1' In testimony 'whereof I' aiix my; signe- .A

' wnrdly extending Strap, in .combination @tui-'e in presence of two Witnesses? with 'n shoehuvin-g' n strap attached intcriorly on the heel portion thereof and v`W1'tn e'sses extending forn'zu'dlv, said hist mentionedl Viss'ngx CfBEVERLY.;V j

strap having u connect-inn member vfm- :id- -AUnn'nij MAEF-Umii 

